The Hogwarts Express Saves the Day
by InariTakahashi
Summary: Hannah, the Hogwarts Express is a magical engine from the Island of Sodor. During one trip from London King Cross Station to Hogsmeade Station, she shows that she really is a magical engine.
1. Chapter 1

The Hogwarts Express Saves the Day

By InariTakahashi

Disclaimer: I don't own either Harry Potter or the Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends Series. Those belong to Ms. Rowling and Reverend Wilbert Awdry and Christopher Awdry . The only thing I do own is my collection of Trains. I have no intention of profiting off this story.

Hannah, the Hogwarts Express worked the line between London Kings Cross Station and Hogsmeade bringing children to and from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She was a large scarlet engine with gold trim, an impressive smoke stack and sturdy wheels. Her coaches were also painted scarlet and had expansion charms on them and had been with her from the beginning of her service to England's Wizarding world.

She ran six times a year in England and the rest of the time she worked on the island of Sodor where she had originally come from. The drivers, conductors, and trolley lady were also from the Island of Sodor where everything, even the trains were magical.

When she wasn't taking children to and from magical school, Hannah drove one of the express trains on the island. She was friends with Gordon the big green Express Engine, and all the engines respected her. She had been around for a very long time, and even Thomas, the cheeky little tank engine, considered her something of a grandmother.

One day, just before she was due back on the Hogwarts line, she had been given her new coat of scarlet and gold paint. The coaches chattered happily near her in the train yard looking forward to having the children on them again. Even though they carried children to the seaside when they weren't in England, they still missed having the small students ride them.

"You look a grand sight, old lady," the driver said fondly to Hannah as he polished her brasses. "My grandfather, who was your first driver, said that you look just like you did the day the Minister of Magic Ottaline Gambol commissioned you."

"I remember those days," Hannah said in her kindly manner. "It is sad that the war happened, for I had a lot more children ride my coaches then."

"Well, that will happen again now that the Wizarding World is recovering. We set off tomorrow for the Hogsmeade-London Kings Cross Line, so be ready to set out bright and early."

Hannah wished her Driver a good night and settled down to dream about platform 9 3/4 and all the children who would ride her on September first.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Hogwarts Express Saves the Day**

**By: **Inari Takahashi

**Disclaimer:****I don't own either Harry Potter or the Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends Series.****Those belong to Ms. Rowling and Reverend Wilbert Awdry and Christopher Awdry.****The only thing I do own is my collection of Trains.****I have no intention of profiting off this story.**

Chapter Two:

September 1 dawned bright and sunny. When Hannah pulled into Kings Cross Station, Platform 9 ¾ was empty except for a couple of porters. As it was still too early for the children, the scarlet and gold engine settled down for a nap, whilst her engineer and fireman readied her for the long journey.

A couple of hours later, the excited sound of children's voices woke her up from a dream of taking children to the seaside. She sleepily let off a cloud of steam, waking up completely. A couple of firsties admiring her new coat of paint helped her remember where she was, and she watched the children and their parents gather on the platform.

Witches and Wizards brought their children every September 1rst to see them off to a new year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Owls in cages and cats weaving around the ankles of the children and adults added to the din. Hannah never tired of seeing this, remembering similar scenes in previous years.

"I'm getting old," she said sadly to her driver. "I remember when your grandfather was setting off on his first year at Hogwarts."

Her driver only chuckled and told her that she would never grow old. "I have some news, " he told her. He had watched a shabby man with a suitcase board one of the coaches earlier. "One of the professors is riding with the children today."

"Perhaps it is because Sirius Black escaped Azkaban Prison," the fireman said from where he was getting the firebox ready for the trip. "They'll want protection if he even thinks about going after the children."

Hannah gasped, letting off a cloud of steam, when she was told about Sirius Black being a murderer. "Poppycock!" she snorted. "If he is a murderer, then I'm a tank engine. I remember all the pranks he pulled with his friends."

The engineer had his own thoughts on the matter, but didn't voice them as he watched the last of the children board the coaches. The families milled on the platform waving and shouting their goodbyes to the children hanging out of the windows, waving back.

"Time to go," he finally said, alerting the others to get ready for the start of their journey. A whistle blew, telling everyone that the train was about to leave. Steam rose in a cloud, the whistle blew one last time, and Hannah pulled away from the platform with a smile on her face.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Hogwarts Express Saves the Day**

**By: **Inari Takahashi

**Disclaimer: I don't own either Harry Potter or the Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends Series. Those belong to Ms. Rowling and Reverend Wilbert Awdry and Christopher Awdry. The only thing I do own is my collection of Trains. I have no intention of profiting off this story.**

Hannah, the big scarlet express engine, loved the trip from Kings Cross Station in London to the Hogsmeade Station in Scotland. As she did every September 1, she started promptly at 11:00, pulling her coaches along the tracks into the English countryside.

Her coaches were magically expanded to take any number of passengers. "I have the prefects, I have the prefects," chattered Hester, the lead coach as she rolled along. The other coaches were too happy to be carrying children again to be jealous.

After they left London on the special line, the houses and shops thinned out until they were passing farms and orchards. The tracks were clear of any sheep or cows, which Hannah was happy about. She hated having to stop until the farmer or herdsmen cleared the tracks of their livestock.

As the tracks climbed, the forest became darker and heavier. In the distance, the driver could see clouds piling up in the sky, looming ominously overhead. "The weather is turning foul," he told the fireman. "Be sure to keep the boiler hot. We need to make as much speed as we can."

Behind Hannah, the coaches reported that the children were in high spirits. "They haven't stopped running," Megan, the second coach complained happily. She liked to complain about the children, but she was always the first to look forward to carrying them to and from school.

They were only an hour from Hogsmeade Station when the storm broke. Rain and wind blew fiercely onto the tracks, and visibility dropped to almost nothing. Up ahead, the driver and fireman could see dark shapes gathering and blocking the way. The driver applied the brakes, slowly bringing Hannah to a stop.

"Why are we stopping?" the coaches asked in panic. They knew that they had not yet reached the station. The rain and the cold was starting to frost up their windows, and they could hear the children calling inside, wondering if they'd arrived at Hogsmeade.

Hannah angrily blew a cloud of steam as the dark figures approached her coaches. "This is not right," she grumbled. "I should be pulling into the Station soon. This will delay me." She did not like anything that kept her from her schedule.

"Wait, isn't there a Hogwarts' professor in one of the coaches?" the fireman asked, wiping sweat from his brow. "I'll see if one of the prefects can get him. He'll straiten this out."

Hannah blew steam again, but this time in approval. She was happy that they had taken a professor as a passenger. The fireman rushed off to talk to the Head Boy and Head Girl, remembering that they would be with the prefects.

The engineer frowned, feeling the cold getting worse. "Those are dementors out there," he finally said to Hannah. "Why are dementors on the tracks? Usually they are in Azkaban prison standing guard over the prisoners."

Hannah had no answer for that, only keeping a stern eye on the creatures approaching her train. Coming to a decision, she began issuing commands to her coaches.

**_Heh, the evil cliff hanger. I always thought that the Hogwarts express was pretty awesome for a train engine. Oh, I looked it up. The Island of Sodor is between England and the Island of Man. There is even a way for engines to go from Sodor to the mainland. How cool is that?_**


	4. Chapter 4

**The Hogwarts Express Saves the Day**

**By: **Inari Takahashi

**Disclaimer: I don't own either Harry Potter or the Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends Series. Those belong to Ms. Rowling and Reverend Wilbert Awdry and Christopher Awdry. The only thing I do own is my collection of Trains. I have no intention of profiting off this story.**

**_Chapter Four:_**

Hannah, like all the engines on the Island of Sodor, hated being delayed. She took pride in sticking to her schedule, and her driver and firemen kept her in tip-tip condition. In all the years she had been pulling coaches to and from Hogsmede, she had never imagined that she'd be stalled on a dark track surrounded by forest.

Not only was the tracks and woods dark, but it was growing icy cold. She could hear her coaches complain behind her. "Our windows are frosting up. It's not winter. Why is it so icy?"

Hannah blew her steam again. If she was not already a fine scarlet color, she would have been that color from anger. She could see the cloaked and hooded forms of the dementors pass her and head to the coaches.

Hannah was glad that her fireman had already sent the head boy to alert the professor riding in one of the coaches. She could hear the seventh-year student running back to report to the driver. "They are already searching the coaches!" the student said angrily. "Is there any way to report this to the Headmaster?"

The driver shook his head. "It would take too long by owl, and I never could cast a patronus. Let us hope that the new Defense Professor is able to do such. See if you can get as many children as you can to lock their compartment doors. That may delay them."

The head boy hastily agreed and hurried off to get the word out to as many as he could. Hannah could hear her driver say to the fireman. "If there is only something more we can do to help," he said. "I guess it is now out of our hands."

Hannah felt resolve fill her. It was now up to her and her coaches to save the children. Rescue might come too late for them. She blew steam again and spoke to her coaches. "We must stop the dementors. I know you can do it. I know you can do it."

**_Sorry about another evil cliff hanger. Also sorry it took so long to update. Real Life sucks, but at least I got a new job! Yes, I, Inari-Sama, was unemployed for all of one and a half weeks._**


End file.
